Case Study: Addressing Mental Health Challenges in a Major Construction Firm

A construction company responsible for Britain's largest building project, employing over 4,000 workers, faces unique mental health challenges.

This decade-long endeavour, located in England, involves intense schedules, with contractors working up to 11 days on and three days off. Such demanding conditions have reportedly contributed to mental health issues among employees, prompting significant intervention.

Background and Context

Reports from union officials indicate a rise in mental health concerns within the organisation, including stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as anecdotal accounts of family breakdowns, increased gambling, and substance abuse in the local community. While allegations of multiple suicide attempts remain unverified, these challenges underscore the need for proactive measures.

I was engaged as an external consultant to propose and execute a Mental Health Stress Risk Assessment, alongside analysing an employee wellbeing survey.

Scope:

• Develop a proposal for a mental health risk assessment tailored to the construction sector.

• Deliver the risk assessment within three months.

• Present findings and recommendations to the Health and Safety Working Group via a white paper and PowerPoint presentation.

Objectives:

• Provide actionable insights to improve mental health support within the organisation.

• Recommend long-term monitoring and benchmarking strategies.

Key Areas of Analysis

Mental Health in Construction:

• The construction industry has the highest suicide rates among all occupations, with 507 recorded cases in 2021 (ONS, 2021).

• Contributing factors include job insecurity, long working hours, and poor management practices.

Cost of Poor Mental Health:

• The financial impact of mental health issues in the UK has risen to £56 billion annually (Deloitte).

• Stress-related absence is prevalent, with the construction industry losing approximately 400,000 work hours yearly due to mental health problems.

Gender Disparities:

• With men comprising the majority of the construction workforce, they face a suicide risk three times higher than the national average for men (ONS, 2017).

Workplace Culture and Leadership:

• Bullying and "banter" often escalate into serious issues, highlighting a need for better management training.

• Leaders’ attitudes towards mental health significantly impact employees' willingness to seek help.

Work-Life Balance:

• Heavy workloads and tight deadlines contribute to stress, exacerbating mental health concerns.

Intervention Framework

Using the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Management Standards and Briner et al.'s evaluation model, I identified interventions targeting organisational, team, and individual levels:

• Demands: Weekly team meetings to address workloads and challenges.

• Control: Upskilling workers to foster autonomy.

• Support: Establishing buddy systems and training senior management in mental health prevention and intervention.

• Relationships: Developing policies to address unacceptable behaviour and promote effective communication.

• Role Clarity: Providing clear job descriptions and objectives.

• Change Management: Creating feedback systems during organisational changes.

Findings and Recommendations

Following the survey analysis of 221 respondents, I recommended interventions to be made by the company to alleviate the mental health crisis and promote changing attitudes to mental health within the company.

Recommended Interventions:

• Expand Mental Health First Aid training.

• Enhance communication through posters and dedicated support platforms.

• Implement regular mental health check-ins with a trained GP or chaplain.

Conclusion

This project highlighted the critical importance of addressing mental health in high-pressure industries like construction. By adopting evidence-based practices and prioritising employee wellbeing, the company can not only improve worker satisfaction and productivity but also set a benchmark for mental health support in the sector.

Through continued collaboration and reassessment, these initiatives have the potential to create a more resilient workforce and foster a healthier, more sustainable working environment.

Work with me

If your business has fundamental challenges that would benefit from an outside eye - let’s work together.